Building covering construction



April 19, 1938. L. H. MATTES 2,114,451

BUILDING COVERING CNSTRUCTION Filed Nov. 2, 193e Peo/e @er INVENTOR.

ff- /1 Mnf. BY M2M/v 7M ATTORNEYS.

Patented Apr. 19, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2 Claims.

This invention relates to building covering constructions, and particularly to the construction of and means for mounting preformed` veneered panels to form the siding of a building. More particularly, this invention relates to improvements in that type of building covering membe.` wherein `a base panel carries a plurality of thisn spaced brick or like slabs between which panel securing means are positioned and a mortar bond is subsequently applied..

Certain defects are inherent in the conventional constructions of this character. Chief among these is the fact that the brick or other slabs which form the surface veneer of the preformed building covering members are quite heavy and are conventionally held to place on the panel solely by adhesive, such as asphalt, even after applied to a building. Therefore, if the bond between the brick and the panel is broken or inadequate, the brick slabs drop from the panel. Another defect of this construction is caused byA the fact that the base or foundation panel ernployed in the preformed building covering members is generally a board formed of compressed fibrous material having high insulating properties. These boards are generally of highly absorbent character, however, so that if water reaches the same it swells, peels and otherwise weakens to the extent that it is no longer structurally strong enough to support the weight of the slabs which form the surface veneer of the building covering member. While ev'ery precaution possible may be taken to avoid absorption of `Water by the foundation panel when applied to a building, it is almost impossible to so apply the building covering members that water cannot reach the panels, as by capillary action. In other Words, the use and application of conventional building covering members of the'type us- 40 ing a veneer of pre-formed slabs adhering to a panel is not entirely satisfactory and practical by reason of the possibility that the construction will deteriorate in any of several manners with the result that the slabs will fall from and expose the foundation panels, thereby losing both the appearance and weather proong character desired.

Therefore, the primary object of this invention is to provide means for positively and mechanically bonding the surface layer of the building covering member directly to the building.

A further object is to provide means for securing the building covering member of such character that the same serves to secure the base panel of the member to the building and to anchor the surface veneer of the member to the building.

A further object is to provide a. construction by which a preformed masonry surface veneer of a building covering member may be permanently anchored to a building without regard to the condition of the base panel of said building covering member.

Other objects will be apparent from the description and the appended claims. I

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a building covering member preparatory to application to a building.

Fig. 2 is a perspectiveview of a slab employed to form a part of the surface veneer of the buildying covering member.

Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse sectional view of the building covering member taken on line 3-3 of Fig. l. 20

Fig. -4 is a vertical transverse sectional' View similar to Fig. 3, and illustrating the mounting of the building covering member on a building.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of the building covering applied to a building.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view taken on line 6-6 .of Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a securing member.

Referring to the drawing. which illustrates the 30 preferred embodiment of the invention, the numeral I0 designates a pre-fabricated building covering member ready for application to a building. This member I0 comprises a base or foundation panel llwhich is preferably formed of rigid 35 insulating material of any of the well known commercial types which comprise compressed brous or cellulose material. The panel II may be of any suitable form, that here illustrated having parallel upper and lower edges I2 and I3, 40 and upwardly converging stepped side edges Il. To one face of the panel I I is applied a thin layer I5 of a suitable adhesive materlaLsuch as asphalt, cement'or the like,` by means of which slabs` I 6 of masonry, such as brick',v may be se'- 45 cured to the face o f panel II in desired relation. vThe slabs I6, as best illustrated'in Fig. 2, may comprise a thin section of a conventional hardburnt brick having twor of itsdimensions the 7same as a conventional building brick, but be- 50 ing of comparatively -small thickness to reduce the weight and cost thereof to a minimum. 'The slabs I6 are preferably arranged on panel II 'in spaced horizontal courses, theindividual slabs in each course also being spaced, and the slabs 55 .ing end and head 2| of the nails I9.

in adjacent courses being staggered. The spacing I'I between adjacent slabs in the same course is the same as the spacing l'between the adjacent courses, and both spacings conform to the conventional spacing of brick in a. masonry wall. The above construction is conventional and well known, and in practice is pre-fabricated prior to use.

To apply and mount the member I on a building, I employ a nail I 9 having a head 20 at its end and a second head or flange 2| in adjacent but spaced relation to head 2|). This nail is driven through the foundation panel II and into the studding, or the old siding in the event a building is being re-covered. The nails are positioned in the spaces I'I and I8 between slabs IB, and the flanges 2| thereof are driven home against the face of panel to solidly secure the panel to the building. The outer end of the nail and the head 20 thereof thus project into the spaces I'I and I8, and terminate rearwardly or inwardly of the plane of the outer faces of slabs I6. After the members ||I have been solidly secured to the building in proper juxtaposed relation to provide a wall in which conventional brick arrangement is followed, the spaces |'I and I8 and the spaces between the outer slabs of adjacent panels are lled with a suitable mortar 22 which completely encompasses the project- As this mortar 22 sets and hardens it forms a permanent bond with the adjacent slabs |6 whereby said mortar and slabs comprise a weather-proof, continuous, structurally integral veneer for the building covering.

It will be apparent that this construction utilizes the nails I9 for the dual purpose of securing the foundation panel II to the building and of positively anchoring the structurally integral slab and mortar veneer to the building proper. The latter function is achieved by the anchoring action of the portions of the nails I9 projecting into the spaces I'I and |8 and imbedded in the mortar 22. The bond of the mortar is of sucient strength to integrate the slabs I6 structurally, and thus insures, when it has set and hardened, mechanical bonding of said slabs to the building entirely independently of the bond provided by the adhesive layer I5. In this respect the instant construction is obviously vastly superior to conventional constructions wherein a single-headed nail is employed solely for the purpose of securing the panel to the building, and the adhesive I is the sole means provided for securing and holding the mortar and slab veneer in operative position. It is obvious from the above that if the adhesive of my improved construction proves to be impermanent, the anchoring of the mortar 22 by the nail heads 2| nevertheless prevents the slabs I6 from falling from place; and likewise, if the foundation panel is adversely aiected, as by absorption of water, with resulting peeling or other destructive action, the surface veneer of brick and mortar is not affected or destroyed thereby.

I claim:

1. A building covering comprising a plurality of coplanar units each comprising a rigid composition board and a plurality of facing members adhesively secured to one face of said board in spaced relation, double-headed nails securing said units to the building, the end portion and the outer head of each nail projecting into the spacessaid covering, and means for securing said panels toa building including an anchoring projection imbedded in said bonding material to anchor said veneer independently of said panel.

LEE H. MA'I'IES. 

